At this point, Jimmy Butler will take any franchise over the Miami Heat. Or that’s what you’d think because it’s starting to feel like he might’ve already played his last game for the Heat. For the second time in 3 weeks, Pat Riley and his front office have handed him a suspension. While this one’s for two games, is anyone really ‘jawdropped’ by the news?

The Heat didn’t hold back in their statement on Wednesday night, calling out Butler’s “continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct, and conduct detrimental to the team.” Oh, and here’s the kicker—he missed the team flight to Milwaukee that same day…

There is one team that the 6x All-Star doesn’t want to go to. During NBA Today, Marc J. Spears from ESPN spilled the details. Butler’s trade wish? “Just out of Miami, with the exception of Memphis.” Yeah, he’s not holding back. You’ve got to wonder—what’s his beef with Memphis?

Spears also pointed out that Butler isn’t looking to bounce around anymore. “He wants to finish his career wherever he goes,” the reporter said. Meanwhile, the Heat and Erik Spoelstra are in Milwaukee for their upcoming two-game road trip without Butler.

The 54-year-old Head Coach sent a clear message to his locker room amidst Butler’s absence. “This is the NBA life. This is what we signed up for. Get used to it,” Erik Spoelstra said after Thursday’s shootaround. Coach Spo didn’t sugarcoat it, either. “If you think things will be predictable, you’re really mistaken,” he added. Honestly, you can feel the no-nonsense tone.

Spoelstra emphasized staying locked in despite the chaos. “It takes mental fortitude and commitment to focus on the task at hand. Nothing changes in terms of what the task is,” he explained.

He didn’t stop there, though. “We know who we are as a team. We’ve built enough continuity to handle this. You can make any excuse, you want to, but we get to do what we love. We get to compete tonight,” Erik said.

Jimmy Butler’s ‘anticipated’ return didn’t last long. After serving a seven-game suspension for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team,” he barely had time to settle back in. In just 3 games, the seasoned campaigner had averaged 13 points while playing about 29 minutes a night. Apparently, there was a miscommunication, which led to Jimmy missing the flight to Milwaukee.

Former Knicks player explains what happened that led to Jimmy Butler missing the team flight

Travel drama seemed to follow both the Bucks and the Heat ahead of their matchup. For the Bucks, a snowstorm in New Orleans delayed their trip back home after their game against the Pels was postponed. They eventually returned to Milwaukee, but the tip-off had to be pushed back.

Meanwhile, the Heat dealt with their own mess.

Butler missed the flight to Milwaukee, earning himself another suspension—his second in just a few weeks. This latest two-game ban follows a seven-game suspension he served recently for misconduct, all while trying to push for a trade. You have to wonder, how much longer will the Heat tolerate this?

Former Knicks player Channing Frye spilled some tea on the Road Trippin’ podcast, claiming Jimmy Butler didn’t even bother to communicate. “This time, Jimmy held up the whole plane. Because he didn’t want to communicate,” Frye said.

He went on to explain, “A vet might say, ‘I’ve got business to handle; I’ll take a jet tomorrow,’ but you tell the team! From what I heard, they waited for hours on the tarmac wondering, ‘Where is this guy?’”

Missing a flight is one thing, but holding up everyone—players, coaches, staff—takes it to another level. If you’re a Heat fan, this probably feels like a reality show gone wrong. Controversial thing to say, I know- but am I saying something wrong? A quick text could’ve solved everything, but instead, the drama just keeps piling up. At this point, it’s fair to wonder if Butler’s exit is inevitable.